Multi-station document inserting systems generally include a plurality of various stations that are configured for specific applications. Typically, such inserting systems, also known as console inserting machines, are manufactured to perform operations customized for a particular customer. Such machines are known in the art and are generally used by organizations, which produce a large volume of mailings where the content of each mail piece may vary.
For instance, inserter systems are used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies and utility companies for producing a large volume of specific mailings where the contents of each mail item are directed to a particular addressee. Additionally, other organizations, such as direct mailers, use inserts for producing a large volume of generic mailings where the contents of each mail item are substantially identical for each addressee. Examples of such inserter systems are the 8 series and 9 series inserter systems available from Pitney Bowes, Inc. of Stamford, Conn.
In many respects the typical inserter system resembles a manufacturing assembly line. Sheets and other raw materials (other sheets, enclosures, and envelopes) enter the inserter system as inputs. Then, a plurality of different modules or workstations in the inserter system work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mailpiece is produced. The exact configuration of each inserter system depends upon the needs of each particular customer or installation.
For example, a typical inserter system includes a plurality of serially arranged stations including at least one postage meter, an envelope feeder, a plurality of insert feeder stations and a burster-folder station. There is a computer generated form or web feeder that feeds continuous form control documents having control coded marks printed thereon to a cutter or burster station for individually separating documents from the web. A control scanner is typically located in the cutting or bursting station for sensing the control marks on the control documents. According to the control marks, these individual documents are accumulated in an accumulating station and then folded in a folding station. Thereafter, the serially arranged insert feeder stations sequentially feed the necessary documents onto a transport deck at each insert station as the control document arrives at the respective station to form a precisely collated stack of documents which is transported to the envelope feeder-insert station where the stack is inserted into the envelope. The finished envelope is then conveyed to a postage station having a postage meter for affixing the appropriate postage to the envelope. A typical modern inserter system also includes a control system to synchronize the operation of the overall inserter system to ensure that the collations are properly assembled.
Typically, an inserter operator employs one or more inserter systems in a common environment (a "shop"). A current trend is to employ an operations management system (OMS) in each shop that is central and connected to each inserter system. More particularly, the OMS connects to the control system of each inserter system so as to monitor the operation of each inserter as well as to control its operation thereof. In regards to monitoring and controlling the operation of postage meters implemented on an inserter system, a difficulty arises in that this is quite burdensome because an expert in software engineering who is skilled in the art of electronic communications needs to produce the software required for the control system of the inserter to communicate with a postage meter. Thus, in the past, when a user needed to obtain statistical information from a particular postage meter, the user had to directly intervene with the interfacing device provided on that postage meter. Likewise, when a postage funds needed to be replenished in a particular postage meter, the user had to manually acquire an access code from the postage meter interfacing device, dial a postage data center, record the refill combination code and then intervene directly with the meter interfacing device so as to input the refill combination code into the postage meter in order to replenish postage funds thereinto. Obviously this was both burdensome and inefficient as it required the inserter system to be "off-line" while the operator is directly interacting with the postage meter.